Making Distance Learning Courses Accessible to Students with - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Making Distance Learning Courses Accessible to Students with Disabilities

Presented By

Adam Tanners University of Hawai’i

Overview of today’s presentation

 Background  Legal mandates  Four scenarios  In conclusion:

What does this mean for us as Distance Learning practitioners?

Our Four Students

 Mathew  Marlee  Albert  Steven

Mathew

is blind:

Unable to read printed materials Unable to see icons, images or

videos

Marlee

is Deaf:

Unable to hear audio podcasts Unable to hear videos Cannot hear or speak during

synchronous audio conferences

Albert

has a learning disability:

Difficulty reading and understanding

large blocks of text

Easily overwhelmed by too much

information at once

Steven

has a physical disability which limits his use of his arms and legs:

Unable to use a standard mouse Unable to use a standard keyboard Voice is soft and hard to understand

What is assistive technology?

Any item, piece of equipment or product system, whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified,

• r customized, that is used to

increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities.

Assistive Technology Assistive Technology & Universal Design & Universal Design

Tools include:

 Built in tools on computers  Specialized software for purchase

Instructional Methods

 Addressing diverse learning styles 

Considering alternate means of presentation and evaluation

Which Laws Apply Which Laws Apply

Law Application Mandates IDEA K-12 Schools, all children, birth - 21 Guarantees free, appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment Americans with Disabilities Act – Title II Public entities Equal information access, including print and computer-based information Rehabilitation Act- Section 504 Anyone receiving federal funds Opportunity for disabled students to participate must be as effective as that provided to others Rehabilitation Act-Section 508

• All Federal entities
• States receiving

funds under the “Assistive Technology Act State (ATA) Grant Program” Provide disabled students access to electronic and information technology

Guaranteed Access Guaranteed Access



A ruling by the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) stated;

The issue is not whether a student with the disability is merely provided access, but the issue is rather the extent to which the communication is actually as effective as that provided to others.

Our Scenario: The Online Course

Course Delivery:

ASYNCHRONOUS:

Content Management System

(i.e WebCT, Blackboard, Moodle, Sakai)

SYNCHRONOUS:

Web-conferencing technology

(i.e Elluminate Live!, Breeze, WebEx)

Our Scenario: The Online Course

Text-based files uploaded to

Content Management System

Threaded discussions on

Content Management System

Video files and audio

podcasts disseminated on CD

Interactive online class

meetings via web-conferencing

system

Our Scenario: Four Students



Mathew (Blind)



Marlee (Deaf)



Albert (LD)



Steven (Physical Disability)

Mathew Mathew

 Limitations



Reading and inputting text on screen



Seeing graphics and video images



Accommodations



Screen reader



Refreshable Braille display



Braille text

Mathew

Tips

 Create textual content in HTML, text, or

accessible PDF

 Create alternative text for all graphical content  Create descriptive audio for videos

i.e. have an aide or classmate describe video

Marlee Marlee

 Limitations



Hearing audio content



Hearing and speaking during synchronous meetings



Accommodations



Captioning



Text alterative for audio



Video conferencing

Marlee

Tips

 Select pre-made videos with captioning  Caption videos that you create for the course  Provide the script for narrated presentations

and podcasts

Albert



Limitations



Scanning, reading and comprehending large blocks of text



Assimilating information which is presented too “densely”



Accommodations



Text-to-Speech software

Albert

Tips

 Create textual content in HTML, text, or

accessible PDF

 Provide a course site which takes into

account design considerations

Steven Steven

 Limitations



Inputting information to computer using keyboard or mouse



Turning pages (for printed text materials)



Accommodations



Alterative computer input



Electronic text

Photo from AP Photo by John Raoux

Steven

 Tips

 Provide a well-designed course site  Provide an electronic version of all reading

materials, including textbook

Quick Tips

 Contact Disability Support Services (DSS)

• ffice

 Accessible Web Design

W3C guidelines (www.w3c.org/wai)

 Presentations

Don’t JUST read the PowerPoint

 Multimedia

Include transcripts, and descriptions

Sharing Conclusions

 Audience comments?  What does this mean for us as practitioners?

References



DO-IT Program at the University of Washington

http://www.washington.edu/doit/

(Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology Program)



List of instructional strategies and design elements to facilitate online learning for students with disabilities:

Weir, L. (2005). Raising the Awareness of Online Accessibility. T H E Journal. 32 (10), 30-33.



Web Accessibility Initiative



http://www.w3.org/WAI/



Accessibility in Distance Education



http://www.umuc.edu/ade/

The End The End